


and then you find one day ten years have got behind you

by devereauxed



Series: Roisa Fic Week 2k18 [2]
Category: Jane the Virgin (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/F, Fluff, Kid Fic, Mild Angst, Roisa Fic Week 2018, Roisa Fic Week 2k18
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-11
Updated: 2018-07-11
Packaged: 2019-06-08 18:07:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15248961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/devereauxed/pseuds/devereauxed
Summary: Five times Rose hated Mia's birthday. And one time she didn't.





	and then you find one day ten years have got behind you

**Author's Note:**

> Roisa Fic Week 2018 Day Two - Children!
> 
> This whole fic takes place in the same world as [these](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10603935) [two](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14868473). 
> 
> Might make more sense if you read those, but you don't have to. 
> 
> I went all in on the Alver family in this one and I have no shame. 
> 
> (Thanks to Anna for suggesting the 5+1!)

**Zero**  

Luisa had been in labor for five hours and Rose was losing her mind.

Seeing Luisa in so much pain was bad enough, but realizing that she was mad at the baby for causing that pain made it so much worse. The baby wasn’t even born yet, and she was already upset with it – that had to be a bad sign.

Her fear that she wouldn’t find a way to care about it – her, Luisa had told her that she had to stop calling it, damn it _her_ , it – had only intensified throughout the pregnancy. Luisa went through those stages of feeling that are expected when you’re expecting; she nested, she sang to her stomach, she bought tiny socks and little onesies that said things like ‘the snuggle is real’ on them. But Rose didn’t feel any different. She fussed over Luisa, trying to make her as comfortable as possible, finding whole new ways to spoil her now that she was pregnant, but that was it. That was where her feelings stopped.

Well, that wasn’t particularly true. She felt plenty, but they were the wrong things. She was hesitant and frustrated and, honestly, annoyed. She didn’t want to resent the baby for taking Luisa’s attention, especially when she had that glow, but she was annoyed that their lives were going to change. They weren’t going to be able to up and fly off to wherever they wanted at a whim, they wouldn’t be able to spend the whole night wrapped up in each other, sweaty and sated, and then sleep as late as they wanted the next morning – that life was going to be gone the moment the baby took its (fuck, _her_ ) first breath.

And with the amount of screaming coming from Luisa now, that was looking to be very soon. She held her hand, shocked at the power in Luisa’s grip even though she knew that she shouldn’t be, and wished for the pain to end.

And then it did. There was a final push, a grunt of pain, and then a baby crying.

She was here. And Rose felt…nothing. 

Luisa was weeping, her face flushed, and eyes awed as they placed the baby on her chest. Rose knew that look, she’d gotten a version of it in a bar in Florida many years ago: she was hooked, she was all in, there was no going back. She was changed. But Rose was still the same, and it felt somehow even more hollow than it had before.

“Mia,” Luisa whispered, looking at Rose with an earnestness that felt like a kick to the stomach. “She’s Mia.”

“Okay,” Rose whispered back, letting out a slow breath as Luisa turned her attention back to the squirming bundle in her arms.

* * *

**Two**

“I can’t do this, Luisa.”

“Yes, you can.”

“No. I can’t.”

“If you hope to sleep in a bed with me ever again you will.”

“The couch isn’t _that_ uncomfortable,” Rose said with a smile.

“Yeah, keep it up, see where it gets you.”

Rose sighed, peering around the corner where the stage was set for a rather impressive toddler’s birthday party. Streamers, balloons, cake, party favors, Rose might have been irritated that they had to have a party at all, but if they did she wasn’t going to let her daughter have a second rate one.

Any minute now they were going to be under siege. Parents and kids of all suburban shapes and sizes were going to descend on the house, talking about the PTA and yoga and god knows what else. Luisa kept telling her that her version of the suburban ridiculousness she had in mind was directly from the movies and not remotely based in reality, but Rose wasn’t convinced. Those people were dangerous, and not in the fun way.

There was knock at the door, and Luisa gave her a smile laced with warning.

“I will be nice,” Rose insisted. Luisa raised an eyebrow.

“I will not kill anyone,” Rose continued.

Luisa shook her head with a smile and moved to answer the door. Rose took a deep breath and followed.

As she would insist to Luisa later, she did her best, she really did, but there’s only so many times someone can pick up food someone else’s child has mashed into the floor while doing their best to answer constant inane questions about their life when the story they are telling isn’t actually their life. 

(“Do you really expect me to believe that, Rose? Or should I call you Susanna? I really shouldn’t even be calling you Rose, should I, _Clara_?”) 

“Everybody out!” 

The adults in the room went silent, turning to look at Rose in surprise. Most of the children continued to play, one cried, and Mia, well, she giggled. 

“Rose,” Luisa said with a strained smile. 

“I can’t,” Rose replied through clenched teeth. “Sharon just used the words ‘quinoa’ and ‘Pilates’ in the same sentence.” 

As Luisa stared daggers at her Rose began ushering the stunned adults toward the door, shoving party favor bags into their hands as they passed. 

“Yeah sorry, I’m not feeling well, or I think there might be a gas leak? Either way it would be best if you got out, have a good night,” Rose said, shutting the door after the last guest and leaning against it. 

Across the room, Luisa crossed her arms, a stony look on her face. 

Rose gave a weak smile. “Babe?”

Luisa turned on her heel and walked upstairs, one word echoing down after her. “Couch.” 

Mia toddled up to Rose and grabbed onto her skirt. Rose leaned down and swung her onto her hip, and the toddler put hands sticky with frosting on her cheeks. 

“You’re the only sticky child I can deal with, you know that?” 

Mia smiled and stuck a hand in her mouth. 

Rose sighed. “You want to sleep on the couch with me?” 

“Seep!” was the toddler’s only reply.

* * *

**Ten**  

“Babe, take a break.”

“No.” 

Luisa kneeled down beside a very frazzled-looking Rose who steadily becoming more and more annoyed. “Rose,” she said gently. “You’re not going to be able to finish it if you break it.” 

“But I will feel so much better if I do,” she snapped, throwing the screwdriver down. 

“Okay, but your daughter will go bike-less on her birthday, and then what will you do?” 

“Buy her car,” Rose muttered. 

“She’s ten.” 

“Not yet she’s not.” 

“All the more reason.” She leaned in and gave the other woman a soft kiss to the head. “Come on,” she continued, “take a break.” 

Rose grumbled. 

“I’ll make it worth your while,” Luisa said with a smirk.   

The other woman grabbed the instructions off of the floor. “I don’t have time for that.”

Luisa bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. If Rose was forgoing sex, she was too far gone. 

“Do you want some help?”

“No! I am literally a _mastermind_ , my mind is _masterful_ , I _master_. This will not defeat me, Luisa.” 

“Right, got it. You master away, I’ll be in the kitchen.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Rose said dismissively, waving her away with her hand. 

An hour later, Luisa heard the frustrated grunts and curses come to a sudden stop followed by the slam of the door. She heard the faint sound of what was likely bike parts hitting the bottom of the trashcan, and Rose stumbled back into the house, seemingly drunk on anger. 

She collapsed next to Luisa at the table and dropped her head in her hands. 

Luisa couldn’t help herself. “How’s it going, bike master?” 

If she were anyone else the look on Rose’s face would have frightened her, but as it was she just ran a finger across the other woman’s cheek and tucked her hair behind her ear. 

“Mia’s not going to care, you know.”

“You don’t know that.”

“She’ll love whatever you get her,” Luisa said. 

“She’s my daughter, you know that’s not true.” 

Luisa laughed quietly. “Well, some of your personality traits were bound to come back to haunt you.” 

Rose stood and grabbed her keys off the counter. “I’m going out.” 

“You’ll find something, Rose. Don’t worry about it. It’s going to be okay.” 

“I have a plan,” Rose replied kissing Luisa quickly. 

As the door shut Luisa caught the gleam in the other woman’s eye and yelled, “No cars, weapons, or animals, Rose, I mean it!” 

The door shut, and Luisa winced, weighing the odds of her being able to retrieve the bike from the trash and build it herself against those that Rose was going to buy their daughter a crossbow. 

Decisively, she stood and moved to the back door. She needed to get that bike.

* * *

**Fifteen**

Rose and Luisa looked up as the door slammed. Mia stood there, face red and splotchy with tears. 

“I don’t want a party anymore!” she yelled before running up the stairs. 

The two women looked at each other. 

“I got it,” Luisa said quickly, standing and pushing Rose back to the couch. 

“Still? One day you will have to let me deal with the teenage tantrums too.” 

“The last time I did that you told her to ‘suck it up,’ you’ve lost your privileges.” 

Rose watched the other woman make her way upstairs and frowned. She hadn’t been particularly excited about the party, but Mia had been. It was all she had talked about for weeks and for her to cancel it last minute, something bad must have happened. She felt her protective instincts rise, and her hand tightened on the blanket over her lap. 

With a deep breath Rose resolved: Luisa would talk to her and Rose would take care of it. That was how it worked. 

Half an hour later, Luisa made her way down the stairs quietly and dropped next to Rose on the couch, leaning into her. 

“She’s asleep.” 

“Well?” Rose prompted. 

“Well,” Luisa sighed. “Turns out there’s a boy.”

Rose tensed. “And?” 

“And he decided to tell Mia that he was bringing a date to her party instead of coming as hers.” 

Rose stood, letting Luisa fall to the cushion beneath her. “Right. What’s his name?” 

“Rose,” Luisa sighed.

“Is it that Forrester kid?" 

“You aren’t hurting the Forrester kid.” 

“So, it was him?” Rose asked.

“No, it wasn’t but I’m not going to tell you who it is.” 

“Luisa!”

“Rose!” 

“So, you’re okay with her being hurt and upset?” Rose asked. 

“Of course I’m not, but this happens. Heartbreak happens. Especially at her age,” Luisa replied.

“Not to her it doesn’t, not if I can help it.” 

“You cannot be this much of a stereotype.” 

“I am not a stereotype, I am angry,” Rose told her.

“That’s the stereotype. There’s no need for a shotgun here, pops,” Luisa said, grabbing Rose’s wrist.

“Who said anything about a shotgun? I have better aim than that.” 

Luisa laughed, pulling on Rose’s arm until she gave in and collapsed back onto the couch. Quickly Luisa swung her legs over Rose and straddled her lap. 

“She’s going to be okay, Rose,” Luisa said quietly. 

“I know,” Rose replied. 

Luisa leaned in and kissed her until Rose kissed her back and slid one hand up her the back of the other woman’s shirt to grip her hip. With a nip at Rose’s lip, she pulled back. 

“Can’t she just date girls?” Rose asked.

“I think you and I are proof enough that doesn’t protect you from heartbreak.”

Rose looked away, but Luisa leaned in to kiss her cheek softly. “But look where we are now. If we can be okay, she can be okay.” 

“I hope so.” 

“I know so.” 

“I just wanted to rough him up a little.”

“You don’t do anything a little,” Luisa replied then rolled her hips into Rose. “Now put that strong will of yours to a positive use.”

* * *

**Eighteen**  

“I don’t think I can handle this,” Luisa said quietly. 

“I know,” Rose replied. 

“I want her to be happy.” 

“I know that too.”

They stood shoulder to shoulder in the doorway of the kitchen looking in at the group of, well they weren’t kids anymore, were they? Mia was laughing and happy, her eyes bright. On her head perched a tiara bestowed upon her by one of her friends, a feather boa draped across her shoulder by another. 

Even without looking at it they could feel the weight of the boxes and bags stacked behind them. Tomorrow was the big day. The last day. 

Mia had been telling them not to be so dramatic for weeks. Repeating the refrain of “I’m not leaving for good” and “it’s not even that far” and “you are both acting like children.”

She wasn’t wrong on any of those points, but it didn’t make it any easier. 

“At least she had her birthday at home,” Luisa sighed. 

“For the last time,” Rose muttered.

“God, Rose, stop it. You’re making it worse.”

“Well, I’m not exactly happy with you right now either,” Rose snapped.  
  
Luisa turned on her. “What the hell did I do?” 

“You talked me into this! You talked me into _her_!” Rose said, her eyes flashing. “You were bad enough, but now this on top of it?” 

“Rose,” Luisa started quietly. 

“No,” Rose cut her off. “I didn’t need this. I _don’t_ need this. I was fine before her and before you.” 

Luisa reached out and gently took Rose’s hand, happy that even though Rose jerked backward, she didn’t actually let go. 

“Don’t do this,” Luisa whispered. 

Rose looked away and didn’t answer.

“We, she, us, it’s all been worth it. I know that you know that. And none of this is ending, it’s just changing. I know that you need to be angry and lash out right now, and that’s how you deal with this, but I need you not to. I need you to stop acting like this. I can’t be strong for you right now,” Luisa’s voice broke on the last word. 

Rose looked back at her, her face unreadable. 

“Please, Rose.” 

After a beat, Rose reached out and wrapped her arms around Luisa’s waist, letting the smaller woman bury her face in her neck. 

“Okay,” she said quietly. For a moment, they just held each other, listening to the chatter and laughter coming from the other room, knowing exactly which loud, barking laugh was theirs and how quiet it was going to be when it was gone.

* * *

**Nineteen**

Luisa had cried herself out, finally falling asleep with her head on Rose’s lap. 12:59 pm. had come and gone, and for the first time in nineteen years, they hadn’t been there to see her get another year older. 

Rose didn’t cry. She felt nothing. She had to. She sat there watching Luisa sleep and trying her hardest to find her way back to that hollowness she had felt that first day. It was the only solution. 

But then the door creaked open and she froze, listening carefully. Footsteps moved toward the living room, and then there she was. 

“Mia?”

“Hi,” she said softly. 

“What are you doing here?” 

She shrugged. “It felt weird not to be.” 

Rose couldn’t be hollow, she couldn’t shut it down, not anymore. 

“Come here,” she said quietly, holding out her arm. Mia kicked off her shoes and slid down onto the couch, letting her head rest next to Luisa’s in Rose’s lap. 

“Hi _mami_ ,” she whispered to the sleeping woman next to her before turning to look up at Rose. “Hi, mom.” 

Rose sighed. “Happy birthday.”

Mia grinned. “Thanks.”


End file.
